Connected By Darkness
by CharlieBrownLover21
Summary: The darkness is so inviting to her. All she had ever wanted was to be loved by that one person. The only one she ever looked up to destroyed her soul, leaving her to live a life of hatred and solitude. And now he wants her back. She wants him too.
1. Chapter 1: Sleepless Nights

A/N: I got the idea to write this story because I was thinking about how much I love Anko, and I was like, "Why don't I write an Anko story???" OMG! (Aren't I smart?) Okay, this will be a kind sad story, so I hope whoever reads this will appreciate it for what it is. Thank you a lot.

Chapter 1: Sleepless Nights

Anko ran. She ran as fast as she could. She didn't know where she was going, but she had to escape. But even as she ran, she knew he was right behind her. And if he caught her, she knew that he would kill her.

"Where are you going my dear?" He hissed.

His voice sounded so close. She picked up the speed, pumping her legs as fast as they would go.

"You are not fast enough, Anko."

She screamed as his slimey tonuge wrapped around her ankle. Her face came in contact with the ground, and she felt herself being dragged back.

Dragged back to hell.

"Help me!" She screamed, hoping, praying that someone would hear her.

The tug on her ankle stopped and she felt the long cold fingers take hold of her arm.

"Silly little girl. No one can hear you. No one wants to save you. You are mine."

She looked up to see the demon's gold eyes. He smirked.

"What am I going to do with you?" He asked tauntingly.

"Please don't kill me!" She cried. "Please Orochimaru Sensei!"

I don't want to die.

He leaned in close to her, bringing his mouth down to her ear. "Are you afraid of death, Anko?"

Are you afraid of death?

Anko lurched up, gasping for air. She was in the dark. Taking a moment to check her surroundings she realized that she was home. In Konoha. Her blankets and pillows were thrown across her floor, most likely due to her tossing and turning, but she was home. She was safe. She was covered in sweat, but it was nothing new. She always had nightmares about her past. They were always so vived that sometimes it was hard for her to believe that she wasn't twelve again. She shuddered.

She hated dreaming about that snake.

Her curse mark throbbed and her hand extinctivly went up to her neck to cover it. She grit her teeth as pain rocked through her body. The mark was always causing her pain, but she was used to that now. She knew that she could fight it. She was stronger than the hell mark. As the burning sensation subsided, Anko decided that she would take a shower. Showers always seemed to help her for some reason. Not only did the hot water feel good against her skin, it helped rid her mind of thoughts of Orochimaru.

She made her way to the bathroom stripping her clothes off as she went. That was one of the many pleasures of living alone. You could walk around the house butt ass naked and not scare the hell out of everyone. She pushed the door to the bathroom open, and stopped in front of the sink to examin herself in the mirror that hung above it. She knew her hair looked like crap before she even saw it. Her purple locks were tangled and full of sweat. Her eyes were drooping and had small black bags underneath them from lack of sleep. She could only think of one word to describe herself as:

Gross.

She another moment to observe the curse mark. As if knowing she was thinking about it, the curse mark glowed red bringing the painful sensation with it. She cringed and let the pain pass before turning the shower on hot, and getting in. She sighed as the scalding water poured down on her back and neck. She focused on nothing but the comfort the shower brought her. She didn't want to think of anything else anyway. If anything, she wished that she could forget her past. Maybe then she could sleep at night. She snatched up a bar of soap and lathered up her hair and the rest of her body before going to stand back under the hot water. She didn't know how much time passed while she was in the shower, but she guessed about an hour or two, because unfortunately, the water turned cold. Anko hated pretty much anything cold.

She hated the cold, and she hated snakes.

She headed back to her bedroom, not bothering to grab a towel. Once there she tore away her sweat covered sheets, picked up a blanket off of the floor, and crawled back into her bed.

Sleeping in the nude. Yet another pleasure.

Staring out her window, she wondered if she would be able to go back to sleep. Maybe even a peaceful sleep. She glanced at her alarm clock and groaned.

5:47 A.M.

She was going to have to get up in another hour or so.

She didn't hate mornings. She despised them.

She must have been pretty tired, because at sometime or another she fell asleep. But she did not get the peaceful sleep that she had hoped for.

She dreamed of the raven haired demon with the evil eyes.

She dreamed of herself as the weak, pleading child.

And she dreamed of the smile splayed across the demon's face as he bit down into her neck.

A/N: So what did you think of chapter 1? Not to meloncoly? Not yet at least... Well anyway thank you for all of your support on this story and my others. Naruto fans, please read and review this story and Paranoia because it is really funny and I'm sure you will enjoy it. Again, thanx a bunch!


	2. Chapter 2: The Mission

A/N: Alright Naruto (I guess you could say Anko) lovers! Here is chapter two!

P.S. I do not own Naruto or Anko or Kakashi or Sasuke or anyone else from Naruto. I only own the plot to this story.

---

Chapter 2: The Mission

"What is this, Orochimaru Sensei?" The small girl asked holding up a box with a snake skin inside it.

The pale man walked up to her and bent down to her level. He touched the box softly.

"It is very special to me. I found it on my parent s grave, when I was about your age, Anko."

Anko examined the white, scaly skin. "Is it just from a regular snake?"

He chuckled lightly. "No. It is from a rare snake. It symbolizes rebirth. And it made me think of all of the jutsu's I could learn about resurrection."

She squinted. "You mean, like being brought back to life?"

Orochimaru nodded. "What a smart girl you are. One day Anko, I will teach you some of my jutsu. Maybe someday, you will become immortal like me."

His voice echoed through her mind.

Like me.

He smiled. "And you would live forever. Would you like that Anko?"

The girl bobbed her head up and down fiercely. "Yes! I would love to learn your jutsu Orochimaru Sensei!"

He ran his bony fingers through her hair. "Good girl." He turned away from her taking the box with him. For some reason, Anko had the urge to reach out to him.

She felt like he was leaving her. She didn't want that.

Her hand shot out, and grabbed a fistful of his robe. "Orochimaru Sensei!" She yelled.

Orochimaru stopped and turned around. "What is it my dear?"

Her hand did not let go of his robe. "Orochimaru Sensei, if I learn to live forever, will I be able to stay here with you?"

Her Sensei stared at her for a moment before bending down to her level once again. His golden eyes burned into hers.

"Is that what you want, Anko?"

She didn't even have to think about it. She nodded quickly. "More than anything, Sensei."

His smile warmed her. "Well then, I will be sure to grant that wish for you Anko."

She grinned and laughed. "Thank you, Orochimaru Sensei!"

"Anko?"

The strange voice made her stir. The images of her teacher began slipping away into the dark corners of her mind.

Anko's eyes cracked open, and she was immediately assaulted by the light coming in from her window.

Ugh. Morning.

"Anko?"

The strange voice sounded familiar. It also sounded close.

She looked to her left to see that a person was standing by her front door, watching her.

She rubbed her eyes, and slowly sat up in her bed. "Who's there?"

Because of the fact that someone was in her house, she realized that she had forgotten to lock her door last night.

Smart. Burglars would love her.

She tried to focus her sleepy eyes on the figure, hoping it wasn't some creep or something.

She gasped. Leaning against her doorframe was Kakashi Hatake. His hands were in his pockets, and he was looking very handsome.

She had always thought that Kakashi was a really great ninja. Besides the fact that he had a charming quality about him, he had an amazing talent to go with an amazing body. It was hard to go unnoticed.

She tried to smile, knowing that she must have looked like a complete slob; her pillows and sheets were thrown all over the floor.

"Kakashi? What are you doing here?"

The tall, silver haired man didn't move from his place at the door. "Lady Hokage sent me. She wants to see you right away."

She vaguely noticed the downward slip of his gaze. He quickly turned away, rubbing the back of his head as he did so. "Sorry for, uh, not knocking first. Tsunade said that it was very urgent."

At first Anko had no idea why he turned away, but when she looked down, she was horrified to see that her breasts were fully exposed to the world.

Silently cursing all of humanity, she wrapped the single blanket around herself and made a mad dash to the bathroom.

That's what you get for sleeping in the nude and not locking your door, dumb shit.

She quickly through some fresh clothes on and grabbed a brush to start removing the tangles from her hair. When she was in the process of brushing her teeth, she heard a knock on the bathroom door.

"Anko? I'm supposed to escort you to the Hokage's office. Are you ready?"

Damn. She thought he would be gone. Well, there goes her plan of avoiding him for the rest of her life.

"Coming." She answered, opening the door.

She stood there staring at him for a moment, before glancing down, trying to hide her crimson face.

"Hi." She whispered.

"Hey."

It was quiet for a moment before Anko's slow brain clicked.

"Wait, why do I need an escort?"

Kakashi shrugged and started for the door. "Let's just say, you have an talent for not showing up when you're needed."

Anko stomped after him. She wasn't a silly genin. "What does THAT mean?! I come when I'm called!"

He turned around swiftly, and she had to catch herself before she bumped into him.

The one visible eyebrow rose. "Oh really? Then where were you yesterday afternoon when you were called for?"

She opened her mouth to answer, but nothing came out.

Kakashi nodded. "That is why you have an escort."

She scowled. "Whatever."

---

After only a few minutes, Anko was standing in Tsunade's office. Kakashi was only allowed to walk her to the door; he was not allowed to come in.

So now, she was alone.

Shizune and the Hokage herself seemed to be staring her down. The silence was intimidating.

Anko tried her best to keep her eyes on Tsunade's face, but it was extremely difficult not to let her eyes wander to the Hokage's enormous breasts. It's not that she liked women or anything, but jeez, those things were hard to miss. Didn't they way her down at all?

Thankfully, the silence was broken with the clearing of Shizune's throat. "Lady Tsunade? Do you want to explain or shall I?"

Crap, was she in trouble or something?

Tsunade sighed and pointed to the chair that was positioned directly in front of her desk. "Anko. Sit."

Anko practically sprinted towards the chair, not wanting to keep the seemingly already distressed Hokage waiting.

"What can I do for you, Hokage-sama?" Anko asked, smiling.

Tsunade did not return the gesture. "Do you know what happened this morning, Anko?"

She shook her head. "No."

The Hokage let out another long sigh. She pressed two fingers to her forehead and closed her eyes. "Sasuke Uchiha has left the Village."

The words did not mean that much to her. She had only really seen the Uchiha boy around the time of the Chunin exams, and had never really spoken to him. Of course, she had heard the stories. She knew that he was the only survivor from his Clan's massacre, and that he was a very talented genin who possessed the gift of the Sharingan.

Like Kakashi had in his left eye.

She also knew that he was one of Kakashi's students, and for that, she felt sympathy.

She bowed her head in respect. "I am sorry Lady Tsunade. Where do you think the boy has gone?"

Tsunade's eyes sprang open. Fire blazed inside of them.

"He has gone to your Sensei, and my former teammate."

Anko gasped. Those words however, did mean something.

"Orochimaru."

The Hokage nodded. "Uchiha wants his power. We need to stop him. This is why you have been summoned here."

Anko shook her head. Her mind was swimming. "But I do not know where he has gone. How can I help?"

Tsunade stood up and began pacing. "We have made you leader of a small group of jonin. We want you to find Orochimaru. Before Sasuke does."

Anko rose to her feet. "How do you expect me to know where he is?! I haven't a clue!"

Tsunade turned back around to face her. "Think back Anko. You must have SOME idea as to where Orochimaru used to hide. He may be in one of his old hiding spots. We need you to get there. It doesn't matter how. Just do it FAST."

Anko was getting more confused by the second. "He could have a million hide-outs for all I know! And what if I do get there, what am I supposed to do then?"

Tsunade's eyes flashed. "You will find Sasuke and bring him back to Konoha."

Her mouth hung open. "You make this sound easy!"

Tsunade shrugged. "It could be. Sasuke is a genin. A good one, I may add, but he is only a child. If you can get to him before he finds Orochimaru, and bring him back home, then the mission will be a success. There are other teams that have already been sent out in search for Sasuke. You will not be alone."

Anko flopped back down into the chair. She felt worn. Beaten. She knew she had to do this mission, but she didn't want to. The last thing she wanted was to come face to face with her Sensei. She didn't have any idea how seeing him would affect her. She didn't even know the people she was going on the assignment with. She had no idea where to start her search. For all she knew, Sasuke could already be with Orochimaru. It was a big mission, and the Hokage was asking way too much of her.

But she had to do it.

She slowly stood up and looked Tsunade directly in the eyes. "When do I leave?"

A/N: Did you like? Hope so! R&R! Sorry if this chapter was a bit long, I'll try to make them shorter, but I just got to writing and I couldn't stop, so it ended up longer than the first chapter. My bad! I'll update as soon as possible! Bye bye now! ^_^ 


	3. Chapter 3: The Snake's Plan

A/N: I am soooo sorry that this took soooo long, but I've had the WORST case of writer's block imaginable. So, I'm sorry. Please enjoy this chapter, and please review!

---

Chapter Three: The Snake's Plan

Anko didn't have that long to pack.

The Hokage had only given her thirty minutes before she had to be at the Village Gates.

To meet her squad.

She was slightly afraid of having leadership for such an important mission, but she ignored her qualms and focused on packing.

She only packed the essentials. Clothing and weapons. They could find food and water along the way.

Within a few minutes, she was at the Gates, only to be met with a familiar face.

Ibiki.

She blinked a few times.

"Ibiki. What are you doing here?"

He gave her a quick smile.

"Since most of the jonin are needed here, the Hokage wanted me to go on this mission."

Anko let out a sigh of relief. At least she would have a friend with her.

He let out a soft chuckle. "I can't believe YOU'RE the leader!"

Anko clenched her fist, her relieved mood replaced with an annoyed one.

"Hey! I can lead a squad!"

He raised his eyebrows. "We will see."

She scowled and looked over to the three ninja that stood behind him.

"Is this my team?" She asked pointing.

Ibiki nodded and turned to the young jonin. There were too males, and one female.

"This is your leader," he stated as he glanced back at Anko with a grin, "Tell her your names, and abilities."

The first male instantly stepped forward, dipping his head in respect. Anko could already see what his ability was, by the color of his eyes.

"My name is Tehon Huuga. I believe you already know what my ability is."

She nodded as he activated his Byakuugan, and stepped back into line.

The Hokage must have been serious about getting Sasuke back, to give her a member of the strongest clan in the whole Village, possibly the world.

She swallowed. This was going to get interesting.

The next person who stepped up, was the woman. She was very pretty, and by the look in her eyes, she knew it. She sized Anko up, and put a hand on her hip.

"The name is Sabi."

She reached behind her back with the hand that wasn't glued to her hip, and pulled out two large knives. Juggling them with the one hand she smirked and leaned forward.

"Weapons."

Anko laughed, and the girl looked taken back.

"Is that supposed to scare me?"

The female rolled her eyes and walked back to her place in line.

The last man walked forward. Anko could tell by the look of him, that he was smart and well educated. Before he spoke, he adjusted his rectangular glasses, and took a bow.

"My name is Kenka. I specialize in medical ninjutsu, and I am a master of genjutsu."

Anko couldn't help but smile. This guy was good.

Taking one last bow, Kenka retreated back to his place.

Anko sighed and rubbed the back of her head.

"I guess it's my turn."

She looked to Ibiki who nodded. She crossed her arms across her chest, and took a deep breath.

"My name is Anko. As you already know, I will be your leader for this mission. This is very important to The Hokage, so I won't tolerate any bullshit from anyone."

She directed the last part to Sabi, who scowled.

"If anyone wants to cause trouble, leave now."

No one moved.

She smiled. "Good."

"Anyway," She continued pacing back and forth in front of her group, "I normally use ninjutsu, but I also enjoy taijutsu."

Sabi tilted her head to one side. "What type of ninjutsu do you use?"

Anko stopped pacing and twirled around to face her. "It's a special kind really."

She smirked and knew she was going to love this.

Licking her lips she brought her mouth to Sabi's ear.

"Snakes." She breathed.

Sabi let out a screech and jumped back, a horrified look displayed upon her face.

"Oh my god, that is disgusting!"

Anko burst into laughter. That was the exact reaction she had hoped for.

She was really sick at times.

Once she got control over herself, she winked. "I know."

She had completely forgotten about Ibiki until he pulled her a few feet away from the group.

"We need to get into a formation now, Anko. It's time to leave."

She stood on her tiptoes and glared up at him.

Damn, he was tall.

"Who s the leader?" She asked, defiantly.

He looked away and sighed. "You."

She grinned. "That's right Ibiki. You earn the gold star for the day."

He scowled, and pushed her back over to the group.

"Formation." He growled in her ear.

She sighed. "Okay guys, it's time to get in a formation."

Sabi walked forward, her "Scared Shittless Mode" apparently worn off.

"I should be in the front, of course." She said flipping her long blond hair behind her shoulders.

Just for the hell of it, Anko made up her mind to put the little snob in the back. She didn't want Sabi anywhere near where she would be, which would be the front.

"Tehon, Ibiki," Anko said loudly, causing the whole group to look her way.

"Yes?" They both answered.

"Tehon, you will be on my right side, Ibiki my left. I need Tehon to be able to scan where we are going with his Byakuugan, so he needs to be near the front. Ibiki, you need to be on my left for my extra pair of eyes."

They both nodded. "Understood."

Anko walked up to Kenka. "You are the life of this mission. If we get hurt, you will be our only hope for bring healed. You need to be behind me. You will be in the center of the group."

Kenka nodded. "Of course."

Sabi let out a yelp of protest. "Hey! That means that I'm in the back!"

Wow, isn't she smart?

Anko marched over to her. "You need to be in the back to watch over anything we might have missed. You will also be protecting Kenka's back. If we want this mission to be a success, he must stay alive."

Sabi opened her mouth to complain, but Anko hissed causing her to squeak.

"Is that a problem?" She questioned.

Sabi shook her head quickly and took a step backwards.

Anko grinned. "Good. Let's head out."

The squad got into their places, and headed off at lightning speed to begin their search.

But to Anko, this search was much more than finding the Uchiha boy.

She just might find her Nightmare in the process.

---

Orochimaru couldn't help but pace his room.

He could feel Kabuto's eyes on him as he did so.

"What is troubling you, My Lord?"

He turned to the medic ninja, and smirked.

"I've been thinking, Kabuto."

Kabuto pushed up his glasses. "About Sasuke?"

Orochimaru nodded. Of course he had been thinking about Sasuke. The Uchiha was going to be his new body, and he thought about that all of the time.

But he had also been thinking about what would happen if that didn't work.

About if he didn't get his body in time.

He sat down on his bed, and glanced up at his loyal ninja.

"What do you think would happen Kabuto, if I died?"

Kabuto was quiet for a moment before chuckling.

"That could never happen, My Lord."

Orochimaru tilted his head to one side. "Oh? What if our dear Sasuke-kun does not show?"

Kabuto shrugged. "Then you will simply find a new body."

He scowled; angered that Kabuto always had an answer.

"But I want no new body. If it is not Sasuke's, then I want none."

The medic immediately jumped to his feet. "What are you saying, My Lord?"

Orochimaru locked eyes with him. "I'm saying that if I cannot have the Sharingan, what is the point?"

Kabuto was speechless, his mouth hung slightly ajar.

Finally, he had no answer to give.

"Which brings me back to what I was thinking," he continued, "I need someone who can carry on for me, if something like that were to happen."

He watched as Kabuto's mouth closed. "I suppose that's reasonable thinking..."

"You suppose?"

"I know." He corrected himself quickly.

Orochimaru smiled. "Good boy."

Kabuto arranged his glasses again, letting his fingers linger by his nose. "Did you have anyone in mind?"

And that's when he smiled.

He knew exactly who he wanted.

"Yes." He said leaving the bed and walking over to where Kabuto stood.

"And I want you to go and get her."

A/N: Whew... Well there is chapter three for you. Sorry, but I figured I had to add some Orochimaru POV's in there somewhere, so you're just going to have to deal with it! (LOL) Does anyone hate Sabi as much as I do? Speaking of Sabi, I did create her as well as Tehon, and Kenka. SO DON'T STEAL! AND I'M BEGGING YOU! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!! Thank you! ^_^ 


	4. Chapter 4: Unexpected Agony

**A/N: Here is chapter four. Is there really anything else you want to know?**

---

Chapter 4: Unexpected Agony

Anko knew exactly where she was going to go first.

When she was a small child with Orochimaru teaching her, they had spent a lot of time at a secluded place called Jiro Island.

That was where she was cursed.

And seemed like the most logical place to go.

And also the most terrifying.

She kept playing different scenarios in her mind.

What if he wasn't there?

And if he was?

What would her say to her?

Would she feel hate or remorse?

What would he feel?

She scowled.

He deserved no remorse; she knew that for a fact.

But that doesn't mean she wouldn't feel it; he had been her teacher.

The only father figure she knew.

And trusted.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Sabi's whiny voice.

"We have been running nonstop for hours. Where are we even going?"

Anko glanced over her shoulder.

"Jiro Island. It is very far away."

Sabi began to fall behind.

"Well if it's so far, couldn't we take a break? I'm dying back here!"

Anko sighed and ignored her.

They had to get as far as they could before nightfall.

"Anko?" She heard Kenka ask.

She didn't bother to look his way.

"What?"

He seemed hesitant. "Perhaps Sabi is right. We need to rest, and besides, the sun is setting."

Ibiki nodded in agreement. "Yes Anko. We need to preserve our chakra."

Well since everyone but the Hyuuga had ganged up on her...

"Fine." She said coming to a halt.

She looked around to see that they were in a small clearing. Closing her eyes to listen she could hear the steady flow of water nearby.

Good.

"We camp here." She announced.

"Finally." She heard Sabi mutter.

"This is what needs to be done," Anko began, as she turned to face her team, "Three of you need to stay here to start a fire, collect some water, and rest up. I need one person to come with me to gather some food."

She looked from face to face. "Who's it gonna be?"

"I'll go."

Anko turned her head to the sound of the voice, surprised that someone answered so quickly.

Ibiki grinned and walked up to her. She stared at him, perplexed.

"Well? You want me to go or not?"

She nodded slowly, a smile forming on her lips. "Yes."

How had he known that she'd rather go with him?

After a moment, her eyes drifted from Ibiki to the Hyuuga.

She knew that she could trust him. He would keep Sabi in check.

"Tehon, you're in charge while I'm gone."

"I understand." He said nodding.

She tilted her head towards their camping spot.

"Get to work."

---

Kabuto had found her.

But to his dismay, there were slight complications.

He _hated_ complications.

He hadn't thought of the possibility that she would be with others.

And she was.

And now he was outnumbered.

He would have to be extra cautious when setting his trap.

He couldn't afford any mistakes.

What shocked him the most was that she was so close to Orochimaru's base.

That wasn't good.

Well, for her, anyway.

---

"Are you sure you should pick those?" Ibiki asked pointing to the berries Anko was putting in her bag.

"Yes."

"But what if they're poison?" He questioned.

She growled. "They're not."

He crossed his arms.

"How do you know that?"

She sighed and glared at him.

Maybe she should've brought Kenka.

"Why do you always question me?"

He shrugged. "Because I don't want to die."

She scoffed and went back to picking the green berries.

"It was just something I learned from Orochimaru, okay?"

He opened his mouth to say something, but then appeared to bite his tongue.

"Oh."

Ibiki was one of the few people that she trusted with the secret about her past.

He also knew that it was a really sore subject for her, so she was glad when he didn't ask any more questions, but instead got down on his knees to help her pick.

He studied one of the berries.

"Is there anything special about them?"

She shrugged. "Only that they taste weird. Nothing really important."

He nodded and stood, dusting off his pants. "Do we have enough?"

She stood too. "Since Sabi is probably going to refuse them, yeah."

He chuckled. "Yeah, she does have an attitude."

She grinned and elbowed him playfully. "You think? You have no idea what I-"

The words stopped flowing from her mouth as a jolt of pain shot through her body.

"AGH!"

She dropped to her knees, her hand flying up to her curse mark.

Her neck was on fire.

"AAAAAAAH!"

Ibiki was next to her in seconds.

"Anko? What is it?"

Her breaths were coming out short and ragged.

What had caused this sudden reaction?

"My...mark..." She said between gasps. "Pain...oh god..."

It hadn't been this bad in _years_.

It was _never_ this bad.

Only when...

Anko looked around franticly.

Was he here right now? Watching her?

"Orochi...maru...must be- AAH!"

She held her neck tighter, feeling the curse mark throb under her fingers as if it had its own heart beat.

Tears began to form in the corners of her eyes. It hurt so much.

Ibiki pulled her into his arms, one hand reaching under her legs to lift her up from the ground.

His face was full of distress.

"We have to get back to the campsite. Kenka may be able to stop the pain-"

"NO!" She yelled using her free hand to grab his shirt.

"No! They don't know...about...me. They..._can't_...know!"

"But Anko-"

"Do you...understand...me?!"

They would treat her differently if they knew she used to be Orochimaru's student. They would turn against her.

Like everyone else does when they find out.

Eyes are always watching her. Wondering if she'll lose control.

Wondering if she'll turn into a monster.

Like her teacher.

She winced as another wave of searing pain hit her.

Tightened her hold on Ibiki's shirt, she looked him in the eyes, pleading with him.

"Don't...take...me...back there. _Don't_."

The tears finally overflowed and she buried her face in his chest to muffle her next scream.

The next thing she knew, she was on the ground. Ibiki's arms were wrapped around her, pressing her tightly against his chest.

He was shaking.

"I'm sorry Anko, I'm sorry." He whispered.

She let out a sigh of relief when she realized he wasn't going to take her back.

"Thank you...Ibiki..." She murmured.

"God- I don't know what to do! Why are you so damn stubborn?!" He yelled, gritting his teeth.

She laughed softly, tears dripping off of her chin. "Dunno."

Suddenly, her vision went blurry, and she couldn't make out what Ibiki was saying anymore.

It was just like a soft hum next to her ear.

And before she knew it, darkness enveloped her.

**A/N: Okay so I was so into this chapter that I stayed up till (checks clock) 3:16 FREAKING AM to finish it. No wonder why my head is drooping... And yes I do realize that I m making Ibiki and Anko grow closer. And I kinda like it! (Winks) Well tell me what u think guys. R and R! R and R! ^_^**


	5. Chapter 5: Reunion

**A/N: I don't own Naruto, because if I did I wouldn't have to write fanfictions about it. Oh yeah, and I love cheese and all (well almost all) cheese products. Does anyone agree with me? If anyone's even bothering to read this... Oh well, enjoy chapter five.**

**---**

Chapter 5: Reunion

Anko didn't know why Orochimaru had told her to wait in the dark room.

It was scaring her.

And suddenly as the door cracked open to reveal her Sensei, all her fears seemed idiotic.

"Orochimaru Sensei!" She cried out joyfully; glad to finally have some company.

"Anko, dear." She heard him whisper.

She gave him her biggest smile. "Yes?"

And then it all happened so fast.

One moment he was seven feet away, then suddenly, his face was next to hers.

She gasped as he tilted his head down and sunk his teeth into her neck.

What in the hell was he doing?

Her eyes widened and she sat there, paralyzed.

When his mouth left her neck and his head retracted to his body, she began to feel the pain.

Excruciating pain.

She screamed and grabbed her neck desperate to stop what felt like millions of knives stabbing her.

Over and over.

"Lord Orochimaru! This...pain!"

She wanted to reach out to him, for him to hold her and tell her it was going to be alright.

But he didn't even look at her twice.

The light left the room, and she heard a sharp click.

He was locking her in.

"Orochimaru Sensei!" She yelled, feeling the tears emerge from her eyes.

The pain was nothing like she had ever felt before.

She began to shake, as if she was having a seizure, the only sound she could hear was her own screams.

"Please don't leave me in here!" She shrieked, clawing at the ground.

Stop this pain.

"Lord Orochimaru!"

Help me.

She cried until she could cry no more. She screamed until her throat burned and ached.

And then she laid there.

Motionless.

Trying to think of what the hell she did wrong to deserve this punishment.

"I'm sorry." She choked.

She didn't know if anyone could hear her, but she didn't care.

Exhausted, she let the darkness take her, wondering if she would ever wake up.

Hoping that she wouldn't.

But soon after falling into darkness, she remembered light.

And voices.

"She is alive Lord Orochimaru."

The words sunk in, and she felt good somehow, as if she had won some kind of battle.

And the pain was gone.

She sighed, tears still flowing from her unblinking eyes.

"What a lucky girl she is." She heard her Sensei hiss.

"So," His snake voice continued, "Out of the ten we tested, she was the only survivor. Interesting."

Tested?

Anger boiled deep within her.

Her teacher, used her as a _lab rat_.

Her _teacher_.

She couldn't hear what the other man had asked him, but her Sensei's answer to the unheard question made her furious.

"I am leaving this place." Was his reply.

And he turned his back on her to leave.

He used her for some sick test, and now he was leaving her.

She could feel her hand inching forward.

How dare he leave her.

How dare he use her like a toy and then leave her behind.

How _dare_ he.

Her hand firmly grabbed onto his ankle and she tilted her head upwards to look at him.

He stopped suddenly, and glanced down at her.

"But why...how could you do this?" She whimpered, the tears starting to flow again.

He said nothing. Only smirked.

He was amused.

She pushed herself up onto her knees, still holding on to his ankle.

"I don't understand at all! I've looked up to you more than anyone in the world!"

You were practically my father.

He knelt down to her level and pulled her chin upwards. His golden eyes seemed to look straight through her.

"You simply didn't measure up, my dear."

She couldn't speak.

Measure up?

"What...do you mean?" She asked, confused.

She winced as his grip on her chin tightened.

"You lack the hunger for power. The _drive_. The _hatred_."

He sneered and ran his tongue over his lips.

"Although, you didn't die, so you can't be _totally_ useless."

His words hurt; possibly worse than when he bit her.

They were a blow to her heart.

_"You can't be **totally** useless."_

He let go of her chin, and smiled, his eyes widened in anticipation.

"Well? Do you care to accompany me?"

She had never felt so many feelings at once.

Hate.

Despair.

Fear.

Anger.

Confusion.

Love.

She turned away from him.

She didn't want to look into his eyes anymore.

Truth was, she wanted to go with him. But at the same time she wanted to make him feel the same pain she felt.

And she wanted it to _hurt_.

She wanted to hate him.

But it wasn't that easy.

"Fair enough." He said standing.

_Leaving._

She reached her hand up to touch the mark.

The curse mark.

No matter how far away he was, she would always have part of him with her.

Whether she wanted it or not.

Anko eyes sprung open.

The first thing she saw was darkness.

The first thing she felt was panic.

Was she reliving her dream?

But then a familiar face appeared.

Ibiki.

Everything that had happened came rushing back to her.

"Where...am I?" She asked.

Ibiki put a damp cloth on her forehead.

"Back at the camp."

More panic.

"Did they-"

Ibiki pressed a finger to her lips.

"Shh. No one knows. I told them you had a really bad fever."

She sighed.

"Thank you, Ibiki. Where is everyone?"

Ibiki tilted his head to the right. "Sleeping."

She squinted and saw three sleeping bags about five yards away.

"What happened? I don't remember anything."

He winced, as if thinking of it caused him physical pain.

"When you passed out...I-I thought I lost you..."

She felt heat rush to her cheeks.

Good thing it was dark.

Ibiki took a deep breath and continued. "You were barely breathing, and you wouldn't stop shaking..." He shook slightly.

"But Kenka gave you some medicine that would help you breathe easier."

She listened intently. "Go on."

"He wanted to examine you, but I didn't let him. I didn't want him to see...your mark."

She couldn't help but smile.

Ibiki had done so much for her. He did exactly what she asked him to do, even though she was being incredibly selfish.

She reached her hand up to rest it on his. His eyes widened at the contact.

"You're the best Ibiki." She whispered.

He stared at her hand and smiled.

"You're something else, Anko."

She grinned. "Yeah, I know."

She looked around and realized it was pitch black outside.

"Nighttime? How long was I out?"

Ibiki thought for a moment.

"About seven hours."

_"SEVEN?!"_

She lurched up, but went straight back down.

"You idiot! Don't do that!" Ibiki yelled as her head spun.

"Whoa...dizzy..."

Ibiki sighed and put his head in his hands.

"Jeez, you're so stupid."

After the world stop spinning, Anko slowly sat up, using Ibiki's shoulder for support.

He kept one hand firmly pressed against her back.

"You okay?" He asked nervously.

She nodded. "Do you think I might be able to get to the river?"

Ibiki blinked. "Why?"

"I want to take a bath."

She really needed one too. She was drenched in sweat.

He chuckled. "You're not going to the river by yourself!"

She glared at him. "And why not?"

He just laughed. "You could hardly sit up a minute ago! No way are you going to try and bathe all by yourself. And it's dark out there, what if-"

He dropped his voice to a whisper, glancing to the sleeping squad. "What if your curse mark acted up again?"

"You'd hear me."

He glared at her. "Not funny."

She sighed realizing this was going nowhere.

"If you're so worried, then why not come with me and keep lookout?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"You want a bath that badly?"

"Yes."

He scowled and got to his feet, reaching out a hand to her.

She took his hand and let him pull her up into a standing position.

"You're really going to come with me, aren't you?"

He shrugged. "It was your idea."

She snorted as they walked towards the sound of the flowing river. "Great. I get a _watch dog_."

He laughed. "You're funny when you're annoyed."

She smirked, and punched him lightly on the shoulder. "Shut up."

---

Kenka couldn't believe what he had just heard.

Anko had the curse mark.

The person they were going after was the man who gave it to her.

And the Hokage put her in charge.

Why in the hell would she do that?

For all he knew, she could be leading them right into a trap.

He shivered. What if she was still under his command?

And the guy Ibiki had no problem with her at all.

He had noticed from the beginning how they were close, and it was very suspicious how Ibiki hadn't let him give Anko an inspection.

What if they both worked for Orochimaru?

He looked to the sleeping forms of Sabi, and Tehon.

He had to do what was best for the team.

He stood up, careful not to wake the others, and withdrew a syringe from his pack. Slowly he filled it with the blue, tranquilizing liquid he carried for emergencies.

He had to stop Ibiki and Anko.

---

Anko slowly entered the water.

It was _freezing_.

But she didn't care, she wanted to get clean.

She glanced over her shoulder to the tree that Ibiki was behind.

"You better not peek!" She called out.

She heard him laugh. "Why would I want to look at _you_?"

She swam towards the deeper water. "Fine then." She muttered.

She heard him chuckle, and blushed.

Ignoring the fact that she was completely naked in very close proximity to her teammate, she began to wash herself.

First she scrubbed her hair, wishing that she had packed some conditioner, but thankful that Ibiki had been smart and at least brought a bar of soap.

"Anko?" He called, a worried tone to his voice.

She sighed. "I'm fine. I haven't died yet."

"NOT FUNNY!" He yelled.

She snickered.

"Someone's touchy."

Her hands flew up to cover her chest when she saw his head poke around the tree.

"Are you done yet?" He asked.

She slunk down in the water.

"H-hey! Turn around!"

He smirked and turned away.

"Okay. Just hurry up."

She growled. "Don't tell me to hurry. I'll take as long as I want to!"

He coughed. "Someone's _touchy_."

She shook her head and couldn't help but laugh.

Swimming to the other side of the river, she looked up to the sky.

The moon was beautiful tonight. It was full, and shone so bright that it illuminated the water.

"Do you see the moon, Ibiki?" She asked, unable to take her eyes off it.

There was no answer, only silence.

"Ibiki?"

Nothing.

She sighed in annoyance. "Okay, quit trying to be funny, Ibiki. I'm coming out now."

She reached the bank where her clothes were, and was about to get out when she saw a slender figure walking towards her.

Gasping, she swam back out to the deep end of the river.

"Who's there?"

A chuckle that didn't belong to Ibiki rang through the air.

She suddenly felt very exposed. Defenseless. Where was her protector when she needed him?

"Who the fuck's out there?!" She screamed.

"It's me."

She spun around to see Kenka standing on the far bank of the river.

"Kenka?! What the _hell_? You scared the shit out of me!"

She was relived, but still pissed.

"Where is Ibiki?" She questioned.

He shrugged and stepped into the water.

She shrieked and backed away. "What are you doing?"

She watched as he pulled out a syringe with some blue looking liquid in it.

"What is that? Kenka, what are you doing?"

He looked straight into her eyes and starting inching forward.

"I'm doing what I have to do, Anko."

He raised the syringe in a threatening manner, and she knew she was going to have to run.

Using the strength in her arms, she pulled herself over the edge and onto land, not caring anymore if she flashed anyone.

She had to find Ibiki.

And get a weapon.

She made a mad dash back to camp, but heard his voice not far behind.

"ANKO! COME BACK!"

Oh yeah, like that was going to happen.

"YOU'RE CRAZY KENKA!" She screamed.

She ran as fast as she could trying to remember which way to go. It was just so dark. And she was panicking.

And then the worst thing that could've happened, happened.

She tripped.

Her face came in contact with the ground, hard. The wind was knocked out of her.

It took her a moment to get her bearings, and by the time she did it was too late.

A foot pressed into her back, keeping her pinned to the ground.

"You're a fast one." He said flipping her over so that she faced him.

One off his hands grabbed her throat, cutting her airways off and keeping her down, and the other was bringing the syringe to her neck.

"Kenka...no..."

This was not going to happen.

Whatever was in that needle was _not_ going into her.

She thrusted her arm forward.

"STRIKING SHADOW SNAKE!"

The snakes shot out taking him by surprise. He jumped away from her attack, giving her just enough time to catch her breath and get to her feet.

But not enough time to run.

He grabbed her from behind and pulled her against his body, and before she could struggle, she felt a kunai against her throat.

"Game over." He whispered into her ear.

She closed her eyes, and clenched her fists together.

"Why are you doing this, Kenka?"

She heard the same chuckle and shivered. And the next thing she knew she was facing him, the kunai still against her neck.

"First of all," He said letting his eyes fall to her chest.

He said nothing, only smirked.

"Fuck you." She seethed.

The kunai slightly cut into her flesh. "Shut up." He growled menacingly.

She winced, but shut up.

"Second of all, my name is not Kenka."

She stopped breathing.

What?

He wasn't making any since. This was Kenka. She was sure of it.

"But-"

He put a finger to her mouth. "You talk too much."

And then Kenka's features began to melt away were replaced by an unknown face. His once brown hair was now a grayish silver. His rectangular glasses had become circular.

She gasped. He had used genjutsu.

"Who the fuck are you?!"

The face looked familiar, but she just couldn't place it.

"You obviously don't remember me, but maybe I can jog your memory. I was at the Chunin exams. My name is Kabuto Yakushi."

She thought about it for a minute and vaguely remembered the talented nineteen year old medic who would always give up at the chunin exams.

But what did he want?

"I remember you. What the hell do you want? Where is my squad?"

He leaned towards her until their faces were inches apart.

"Dead."

She couldn't prevent the whimper that came from her mouth.

"Ibiki..."

The young man laughed. "No. The guy with the scars is heavily sedated, the _rest_ are dead."

She immediately felt relieved, but then sadness.

Ibiki was right. She wasn't able to lead her team. In fact she got them _killed_.

"Why would you do this?! Was it you the whole time?!"

Kabuto shook his head. "Unfortunately no. I caught the other medic on his way to put you down. Don't worry, I killed him quickly."

She shook her head. Nothing was making sense.

Kabuto grinned and played with a piece of her hair. "I guess you could say I did you a favor. He was going to turn against you."

"What do you want with me?" She said, her voice so soft, it came out a whisper.

"It's not what I want. My Master needs you." He spoke, smiling as he uttered the word, master .

"Who is your master?"

More importantly, what did his master want with her?

"Excellent job, Kabuto. I knew you would be able to find her."

The voice froze the air in her lungs.

Kabuto was on his knees in seconds.

"My Lord." He said dipping his head.

She stood there petrified. She knew that voice.

She could _never_ forget that voice.

"Ah, Anko, dear. It has been such a long time."

She whimpered at the sound of her name. She didn t turn around; afraid of who she knew she would see.

Orochimaru.

This whole mission had been a disaster. A disaster that she caused.

She had been so nervous at the start of the mission, afraid that she might find her old Sensei again.

But it was the other way around.

Her Nightmare had found _her_.

**A/N: Jeez! I'm sorry that that was such a long chapter, but I hoped you liked it! Please read and review, and the next chapter will be coming soon! ^_^**


	6. Chapter 6: Falling

**A/N: It has finally come. Chapter SIX!! I do not own Naruto. But someday I will! Kidding, kidding**

**---**

Chapter Six: Falling

Fear.

Anko had never really known the word until now. She had thought she had known it as a child, but she was wrong. Now here she stood, naked, defenseless, with the source of her nightmares, the source of her pain, only a few feet away. Her team was dead, Ibiki was down, and she was alone. No one was here to help her.

And no one will come.

_"Silly little girl. No one can hear you. No one wants to save you. You are mine."_

She shook slightly, unknowing if it was the cold or not.

After an eternity of silence, Kabuto rose to his feet. He sneered at her. Do you not want to say hello to your Sensei?

She heard the light crunches of leaves as her Nightmare walked closer to her.

Suddenly, she found her voice.

"Don't touch me."

She had meant it as a warning, a threat even, but it came out as a pitiful whisper, as if it were a plea.

His long fingers closed around her shoulder and squeezed. She gasped as a cold sensation shot through her. He was _touching_ her. She could remember that night when he locked her in the room; how she wanted nothing more than to have him hug her, pat her on the back, touch her arm, just to show that he still cared.

And now all she wanted was to cut off his damn hand.

"Don't touch me." She repeated, her voice cracking.

His hand didn't budge.

She could visualize the smirk on his face. She was obviously no threat to him.

"Turn around Anko. Let me see how you ve grown."

A strange sound had begun to fill her ears and it took his a second to figure out that she was hyperventilating.

She felt Orochimaru's nails digging into her skin.

"Anko. Listen. To. Me." He growled into her ear.

All of a sudden, she felt like a child. She felt like that little girl who always listened to what her Sensei told her to do. She felt like the girl who would've done anything just to please her Sensei, so that she could at least receive a smile, an acknowledgment that she did the right thing. That little girl that was so weak.

And _terrified_.

Deep down, she knew that if she ever saw him again, he would have this affect on her. She always thought that she could beat it, but she had never known how powerful his pull on her could be. Her brain told her to stay still. _"Don't give him what he wants,"_ It says. But every cell in her body told her to turn around.

She felt like she was in the middle of a tug-of-war fight, and she wanted neither side to win.

Just keep pulling.

Her body gave in, and slowly she turned, keeping her eyes down. She shivered when her eyes came across the bottom of the sound ninja's clothing.

This is really happening.

"Look at me Anko." He commanded.

She shook her head. That was the last thing she wanted to do. She didn t know how she would react to seeing his face again.

He abruptly pulled her chin up, and her eyes met his.

Memories of all kinds were rushing back to her in that split second. Just by looking into those golden eyes she could see the good times. Hear the laughing.

But she could also hear the screams.

The pleas.

He had caused her so much agony. Mentally and physically. And did he care at all?

Tears began to emerge before she could stop them, and her mouth moved on its own accord.

"I hate you."

He laughed at her sudden defiance. His gold eyes were sparkling.

"Is that so?"

She clenched her fists together.

"Yes."

He cocked his head to one side.

"You talk so high and mighty, my dear, when in reality, I control you."

His smile vanished and he bared his teeth.

"I control whether you feel pain,"

As if on cue, her curse mark activated sending tremors of agonizing pain through her body. She dropped to the ground, her mouth opening to scream, but unable to make the sound.

Just when she thought she was going to faint from the pain, it ended, leaving her struggling for breath.

Orochimaru looked pleased.

"Or relief."

She lay gasping, clutching her body. She had almost forgotten that she was nude.

Looking up and seeing the two men standing over her, she felt so small. She knew that if they wanted to kill her, they could.

So why didn't they?

"What...are you...waiting...for?" She asked between gasps. Attempting to catch her breath after that seemed an impossible task.

She could only pray that he didn't do it again.

He grinned and cocked his head to one side.

"What are you talking about?"

He was playing _dumb_ with her.

She struggled to get into a sitting position, crossing her legs to cover herself the best she could. Her dignity had already been smashed to bits, but she still felt as though she needed to salvage what was left of the pieces.

"You want to...kill me don't you? Just do it." She said meeting his golden eyes once more.

Orochimaru glanced to Kabuto, and they both chuckled quietly, as if sharing an inside joke.

Then before she knew it, she was hauled up to her feet by Kabuto. She resisted him until she felt the cool metal of a kunai pressed against her throat. She swallowed as Orochimaru bent his face down to her level.

This is it.

"My dear Anko. I do not wish to _kill_ you."

This caught her completely off guard. If not to kill her, than what did he want? He had sent Kabuto after her, killed her team, all for what? To scare her a little and then let her return to her normal life?

So many questions, so little answers.

All she managed to speak was, "What?"

He ran his tongue over his lips. "I have much more in store for you than death."

At the word "death" a sharp, pinch like sting shot through her arm. Her eyes drifted down to the spot, only to see the blue liquid from the needle being injected into her.

She screamed, but Kabuto's hand quickly covered her mouth, silencing her.

And then she found herself leaning against Kabuto for support.

What had they done?

She wanted to ask them, but she couldn't talk. She felt her legs give out, and Kabuto picked her up bridal style, and then she was moving.

Her head spun and her eyelids drooped. The sky and the trees swirled around her. She fought the urge to sleep; she had to know where they were taking her.

Their conversation came out as a low murmur that she couldn't interpret.

Slowly her eyes closed, and she fell into a pitch black abyss.

_"I have much more in store for you than death."_

And she just kept falling.

**A/N: Sorry for taking so long on the update, and sorry for such a short chapter. The next chapter won't take as long, I promise you. I had been really sick the past two days so, again, I apologize for the late chapter. Please review because it makes me want to type/write more. Thank you to my readers! ^_^**


	7. Chapter 7: How Much I Need You

**A/N: Okay so this chapter is rated T/M for some "stuff" coming up. Just wanted to warn you, and IF YOU DIDN'T TAKE THE TIME TO READ THIS than, too bad I guess. ^_^ I hope you enjoy it, and I'm sure some of you saw this coming. Oh, and I don't own Naruto. But I do own Orochi-**

**(Gets smacked by the producers of Naruto and Masashi Kishimoto)**

**Fine, I own nothing. Except this fanfic! ^_^**

**---**

Chapter 7: How Much I Need You

Anko felt warm.

Comfortable.

Safe.

Her eyes slowly opened, and the world twirled slightly.

Where am I?

Once her vision became clearer she analyzed her location.

She was in a rather large room, lit only by a small candle that was set on a table to her right. She was lying on a bed, several blankets thrown casually on top of her.

The memories of Orochimaru came back to her, and she was shocked that she did not start to panic.

If fact, she was...calm.

She realized at that moment that she must be under genjutsu, or perhaps heavily sedated.

She would never be this calm. She was already dying inside.

The door opened with a loud creak, and her heart dropped to her stomach.

"Are you awake my dear?" The familiar voice hissed.

She shivered slightly. There was no point in lying; he already knew she was awake.

"I am." She whispered.

She could hear him chuckling as he walked closer to the bedside.

She shut her eyes and tried to concentrate on anything but his nearing footsteps.

"What do you want, Orochimaru?" She asked as the footsteps ended.

Opening her eyes she saw him, standing over her, his usual smirk splayed across his lips. His golden eyes were burning with something she couldn't understand.

"I guess it's time to tell you, then."

She swallowed as he sat down on the bed next to her. He stared off into the darkness thoughtfully, before turning to her, his eyes capturing hers in an unbreakable hold.

He leaned over her, bringing his mouth right up next to her ear.

"I need you, Anko."

The words were too much to handle. Not to mention they made no sense to her at all.

"What?"

She had waited so long for him to want her. Even in secret she would think about how her life would have been if he kept her. But he never cared.

"I want you back, Anko."

Her calm shattered, bringing newly formed tears to her eyes.

How _dare_ he.

"You have never needed me before!" She sobbed angrily.

She tried her best to shove him off of her, but her arms felt lifeless, like he had sucked all of her chakra from her.

"You casted me aside!"

He was quiet, as if he knew that she needed to vent.

And boy was she venting.

"I didn't have enough hate for you, or the desire, or the drive!"

_Damn_ you.

"Do you even know what I went through?!"

I hate you.

"I _hate_ you!"

All of the pain you caused.

"All I ever wanted was to be good enough!"

I always tried my hardest for you.

"You used me, for some test! I could've died!"

_"Lord Orochimaru! This...pain!"_

You didn't give me a second look.

She shook violently. "I screamed for you! I needed you!"

_"Please don't leave me in here!"_

You locked me in.

_"I am leaving this place."_

You were going to leave me _behind_.

"You were going to leave me! You were all I ever had, and you were going to leave me alone!"

My father.

My teacher.

_"Although, you didn't die, so you can't be **totally** useless."_

She squirmed underneath him. "Get the fuck off of me!"

He slowly turned his head towards her. His lips were inches away from her face. She gasped as she felt him press his cool lips to her forehead.

His first act of...kindness?

"And could you ever forgive your Sensei for that, my dear Anko?"

She jerked her head up and looked into his eyes. His face looked pained, as if her words had actually done something to him.

Now he knows how it feels.

She leaned in towards him, her strength gradually returning to her.

"How fucking _dare_ you."

She grit her teeth.

"I would rather _die,_ than ever help, serve, or listen to you ever again."

His eyes widened and she smiled to herself knowing that she had hit a serious nerve.

"You will regret that." He growled.

She sneered. "Will I?"

His anger fell from his face and was replaced with a soft smile. He took her chin in his hands and came so close that she could taste his breath.

"You will find, my dear that women are easily taken advantage of."

One hand left her face and trailed down her arm, back and forth, back and forth.

"And my, what a women you've become."

She lurched away from his touch and threw her arm out to punch him.

Her arm never made contact with his face because it was caught mid swing by Kabuto.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." He spoke his glasses glinting.

Orochimaru caught her eyes once more.

"Now, I'll only ask you once more. Join me_._ I want you to come with me. Become mine once again."

She stared at him. How could he be _asking_ her this? How could he be _doing_ this to her?

Despite what he did to her, there was a part of her that wanted to become his student again. Part of her wanted to join him, and pretend like the past never happened.

"_Join me_." He repeated.

Yes.

"Hell. No."

All of a sudden a familiar pain was shooting through her right arm. She looked to see Kabuto injecting her with another strange fluid. Her body instantly went stiff.

"I guess I'll just have to do this the hard way." Orochimaru said shrugging.

He stood and removed the top part of his sound ninja outfit and smirked.

"But I'm going to enjoy this."

She shot a death glare to Kabuto, and spit in his face.

"Fuck you, Kabuto."

And then she was pushed back against the pillows of the bed, Orochimaru climbing on top of her.

Oh my god.

Now she was panicking.

He wouldn't really do this to her, would he?

"Orochima-"

He pressed a finger to her mouth.

"Hush Anko. You had your chance. Let me show you how _much_ I need you."

The last thing she remembered was him pressing kisses to her jaw, and then she was gone.

Lost in a sea of nothingness.

She fell in and out of consciousness, but when she did come to, it was very brief, and very clouded.

She remembered her clothes being shed, and his.

"No Orochimaru. No."

She thought at one time she had tried to push away from him, but all she could hear was his soft voice.

"Trust me, Anko. Trust me."

She wanted to trust him. She really did. But how could she?

"Don't fight me, Anko."

And so she didn't. She let the darkness take her back and forth; trying to understand what she could when her eyes opened.

And every time her eyes opened, his soothing voice was there to make her drift back into the dark.

She remembered crying out in pain.

"Please don't hurt me."

She remembered a pressure building inside of her and not knowing what to do with it.

Building, building, building.

She remembered screaming his name, and not knowing why.

She remembered his lips on hers.

It felt so right.

But god, it felt so wrong.

She wanted his love but not like this. _Not like this._

She remembered the process starting all over again.

"Please don't...please..."

A hand caressing her face.

"Join me Anko. I know you want to."

Please don't ask me this.

"I love you, my dear."

You don't love me. Don't say that.

"Don't you want to be with me?"

Sobbing. She did. She wanted her Sensei.

"Yes, yes."

Spare this pain in my heart.

She could feel a smirk being pressed against her skin, before his lips brushed against hers.

"Very good."

Darkness surrounded her over and over. She didn't know if she would ever wake up from this eternal night.

Until a loud scream echoed through her thoughts. Orochimaru's scream.

Her eyes sprung open, and she saw a glimpse of Kabuto. He was cowering in front of Orochimaru.

"I didn't know My Lord!"

"How could you be so _careless,_ Kabuto?!"

She was drifting in and out of the dark, but she tried to focus on the conversation.

"Do you realize what you have done?! You _fool_!"

One particular word caused her to open her eyes again.

"Sasuke."

Sasuke? She struggled to get her energy. Her mission. She had to get Sasuke.

"He's here, My Lord. But the other Jonin are on their way here. For her."

At those words, she could feel the two pairs of eyes look in her direction. Where ever _that_ was.

Was it true? Someone had found them? But how?

She reached out. "Orochimaru...Sensei..."

A crashing sound filled her ears.

"Dammit, Kabuto!"

What was going on?

Another crash. Then moving, running.

"We have to get out of here, My Lord."

Leaving?

She reached out again, trying to find where her Sensei was. The Sensei who needed her, loved her. Where was he?

"Get Sasuke. _Now_."

She finally felt his hand touch hers.

"I will come back for you."

What? She didn't know if she heard him right.

His hand was suddenly gone. "I am leaving."

He was leaving her.

Again.

Why was she so surprised?

How could she have actually thought he had changed? Hot tears flowed down her cheeks.

"Damn you."

A chuckle, and then silence.

She was so _stupid_.

She didn't know how long she lay alone, sobbing, slipping in and out of consciousness.

But then she heard a different scream.

"Anko! Oh my god!"

She blinked a couple of times, and saw a familiar face.

"Ibiki."

Her heart ached at the sight of his face. Tears streamed down his cheeks, and he looked so angry.

"I'm going to kill him!"

Another, softer voice filled her ears.

"Do not be a fool, Ibiki."

Her eyes started to focus.

"Kakashi?"

She sighed as someone wrapped a blanket around her. In the next instant she was in Kakashi's arms, moving to god knows where.

"It's okay Anko. You're safe now." Kakashi whispered.

But was she really?

Her body may be safe now, but her mind?

"Go to sleep Anko. It's okay. We have you." She heard Ibiki murmur.

She closed her eyes; she was so tired. She was tired of crying. Tired of screaming. Tired of pain and disappointment.

Tired of being so weak.

Before she slipped into sleep she heard Ibiki's voice once more.

"I'm so sorry."

So am I.

**A/N: I hoped you liked this chapter. I know it was a little melancholy but it is important to the story. I think there is only going to be a few more chapters until the end of this story, so enjoy while you can! Please review and tell me what you thought. ^_^**


	8. Chapter 8: Explanation And His Words

**A/N: Okay so this is the second to last chapter of this story. Just so none of you get confused; it starts with a short Ibiki POV of when he found Anko. Sorry it took so long, and don't worry, everything will be explained (Like the Kakashi thing). I do not own Ibiki. Or Anko.**

**(Looks Around)**

**But I do own Orochi-**

**(Gets smacked again)**

**FINE! I OWN NOTHING!**

**---**

Chapter 8: Explanation And His Words

Using his shoulder, Ibiki broke down the door.

If only he had known what was waiting for him on the other side.

"Anko! Oh my god!"

There was a large bed and Anko was on top of it, completely exposed. If that wasn't enough to make him sick, her body was also covered with purple splotches, a large pool of blood soaking the sheets underneath her.

He fought down the rising vomit.

He watched as her tear stricken eyes fluttered, surprise flooding her face.

"Ibiki."

Her eyes were so distant, so far away and confused. He could tell that they had drugged her.

They had drugged her heavily.

She moaned softly and her eyes closed.

He wanted to grab her, hold her, anything. But he couldn't bring himself to touch her. She looked so broken. So torn apart. Bite marks trailed from her neck to her arms; bite marks that were so deep, blood came from all of them.

There was so much blood.

He felt the tears emerging from his eyes but he didn't care. He was so consumed with sadness.

And hate.

He turned to the open window, knowing that they must have left only a few minutes ago.

He could since their chakra wasn't that far away.

Damn Orochimaru to hell.

He wanted to _kill_ him.

He wanted to put him through as much pain as Anko went through.

"I'm going to kill him!"

A hand on his shoulder stopped him from leaping out the open window and following them.

"Do not be a fool, Ibiki."

He spun around to see Kakashi Hatake.

"How-"

Kakashi shook his head and looked to Anko who stirred.

"Kakashi?" She mumbled.

"Later, Ibiki." He said making his way over to Anko's side.

He nodded. Right now they had to get Anko out of here.

Ibiki took one last look to the window, thinking.

"Do not be a fool." Kakashi repeated, taking a clean blanket and covering Anko.

Ibiki clenched his fists, but he knew Kakashi was right.

Revenge was not the answer.

At least not yet.

Anko let out a small sigh, and Kakashi picked her up being careful as so not to hurt her.

Ibiki cringed. She was going to be in a lot of pain.

Kakashi smoothed some hair out of her face as he made his way to the door.

"It's okay Anko. You're safe now." He whispered.

For a moment, Ibiki envied him, but soon banished the emotion when Anko whimpered.

He rushed up and touched her cheek softly, fighting back tears. Her eyes were looking around frantically, but she couldn't seem to find what she was searching for.

"Go to sleep Anko. It's okay. We have you." He murmured as soothingly as he could.

When her eyes closed, giving up their search, he sighed.

The walk home was going to be long.

The whole time he kept stealing glances at Anko, wishing he could remove all of her pain.

All of her suffering.

He wished he could rewind time and stop Kabuto before he attacked him.

He wished he could've found her sooner, protected her from Orochimaru's grasp.

He wished he could give her everything in the world.

He knew what this feeling was, but he never thought he could feel it so strongly for another person.

"I'm so sorry."

He was in love with Anko.

---

Burning.

It _hurt_.

Anko opened her eyes just to be blinded by the morning rays of sunshine.

Morning. Ugh.

Her head pounded, but at least she could see clearly.

She was in the arms of Kakashi with Ibiki walking right beside her.

It only took her a moment to realize that she was naked underneath the blanket that was wrapped around her, and then everything came rushing back.

Orochimaru.

The name made her want to vomit.

He had humiliated her in the worst possible way, hurt her in the worst possible way.

The searing pain coming from her inner thighs proved it.

He had _raped_ her.

Tears pricked at her eyes as she recalled what little memory she could; it was all so foggy.

_"Please don't hurt me."_

_"Trust me, Anko."_

She was glad when a voice dragged her out of her thoughts.

"Anko? Are you awake?"

It was Ibiki, and he was looking down at her; the fakest smile she had ever seen displayed across his face.

"Yeah." She whispered her voice cracking.

Kakashi looked down at her with sorrow filled eyes.

"Don't you worry, we'll be at the Village in a few minutes. I'll make sure that Tsunade checks you out."

She slowly turned her head back to Ibiki.

"How did you find me?"

Ibiki smiled again. "Well. When you were bathing, Kabuto attacked me. Before we had left the Village, Lady Hokage gave me some tracking devices and I stuck one on Kabuto before I fainted."

He winked. "It was lucky that I had those things, or-"

He trailed off, and looked away. A second later, he continued.

"When I awoke, I had no idea what day or time it was. I went searching for you, but you were gone. I figured he must have took you, and so I was going to gather the team to look for you, but-"

He cringed.

She already knew. Kabuto had told her.

_"I remember you. What the hell do you want? Where is my squad?"_

_He leaned towards her until their faces were inches apart._

_"Dead."_

She shut her eyes. She had failed the mission miserably.

"Well I guess that leads to my story." Kakashi said, looking to Ibiki.

"I had found Naruto, unconscious, and brought him back to the Village. When I got there, one of your team members was in intensive care."

Anko's eyes shot open.

"Who? Who was it?"

Kakashi sighed. "It was a girl named Sabi. She told me what happened; how a man attacked her and the rest of the squad. Right before she passed out, she asked the man what his name was. And he told her his name was Kabuto."

Anko shook her head.

"But how? Kabuto said everyone but Ibiki was killed. How did Sabi make it?"

Kakashi shut his eyes as if to block out a bad memory.

"The men at the gate saw her crawling on her hands and knees. They said she was as pale as a ghost; she looked half dead."

Anko winced. She had never thought that Sabi had it in her. She didn't even like Sabi. But to think that she would be so brave as to crawl all of the way back to the Village...

"Is she alright?" She asked quietly.

Kakashi shook his head. "After she told me all she knew, she died."

Anko could feel the tears overflow. It was horrible. She didn't really like Sabi, but she would have never wished her dead.

Kakashi reached down and wiped her tears away. "Don't cry. The nurses said that she didn't have much chance; she had been injected with a strong poison."

Anko leaned into his chest. "But still."

Ibiki suddenly spoke up. "So how did you find me?"

Kakashi shrugged. "At first I was searching for Anko's chakra, but then I sensed yours, so I followed it. I guess you could say it was just a stroke of luck for me too."

Hearing everyone's stories, Kakashi's, Ibiki's, Sabi's, made Anko want to cry. They all did so much for her, even if they didn't know it.

Silence fell on them. The burning between her legs grew, and she wished that she could go back to sleep. But she was wide awake.

Her thoughts kept haunting her.

Kabuto's voice came back.

_"Sasuke. He is here, My Lord."_

"I remember something."

Both Ibiki and Kakashi stared at her.

"Go on." Ibiki gestured.

"When I was...coming in and out of consciousness, Kabuto had said something about Sasuke arriving."

Kakashi's eye squinted. "So he is with Orochimaru as we speak."

Anko winced and cursed herself inwardly. She had been in the same place as Sasuke had. He had been right under her nose and she was able to do nothing.

"We're here." She heard Ibiki whisper.

Everything else was a blur of, "What happened to her?", "Oh my god!", and Ibiki saying, "Get out of the way, she's injured."

And the next thing she knew she was out of Kakashi's arms, and being rushed into the emergency room by some medically ninja; an IV was in her arm, and oxygen was being fed to her by a tube.

She heard the medics shouting things like, "She has major blood loss!", and "Get me some of those pain killers!"

Then before she knew it, they were injecting her with something to make her sleep. She didn't struggle, but she didn't want to sleep either. She knew that if she slept, Orochimaru would haunt her dreams.

And he was there; in her dreams. But he did not hurt her, nor did he make her cry. He just stood there, repeating the same thing over and over again.

_"I will come back for you."_

**A/N: Blahahahaha, there is only one chapter left before this story ends! Blahahaha! I am contemplating whether or not to make a sequel...but that depends on what I put in the next chapter. If you want a sequel let me know, because I have some ideas in mind. Please review and tell me what you thought of this chapter. Thank you. ^_^**


	9. Chapter 9: The Beginning of the End

**A/N: Omg, this chapter took the longest so I apologize. This is the LAST chapter in the story, and I have made my decision that there WILL be a sequel. Thank you to all of my wonderful, lovely, caring readers and I hope you enjoy this last chapter of Connected by Darkness. I do not own Naruto.**

**(Looks around quickly)**

**But, I do own-**

**(Looks again)**

**OROCHIMARU!**

**Haha, I have said it. Orochimaru is mine, and he will always be mi-**

**(Gets beaten up by Masashi Kishimoto)**

**Ugh...**

**---**

Chapter 9: The Beginning of the End

Anko didn't know what she was searching for.

She ran blindly, unable to see anything in the pitch black darkness. Her hands were out in front of her, trying to feel her way around.

And then a rustling sound caused her to turn; to chase after the slight noise that might have been what she was searching for.

But what was she searching for?

She felt so lost, so alone and disconnected from the rest of the world. But if she could only find what she was meant to find...

Where?

"Anko."

_Where?_

"Anko?"

She was dragged away from the dream at the sound of her name. Her eyes opened slightly, hating the sun that leaked its way into her vision.

By the white walls and the small vase of flowers by her bedside she assumed she was still in the hospital. The pain between her thighs was a dull throbbing now, but that didn't help the ache in her heart.

She felt so hollow; like a part of her was missing, never to be returned. She could almost feel the hole in her heart. And it just kept growing.

A soft hand touched her check drawing her mind back down to Earth.

"Anko, can you hear me?"

She turned her head to see Ibiki, sitting in a chair by her side.

He gave her a weak smile. "Hey there."

She tried her best to bring a smile to her lips, but that was the last thing she felt like doing at the moment.

"I've been better."

She hadn't noticed that his hand was holding hers until she felt the soft squeeze to her fingers. His hand was so warm.

"Anko, I've been thinking about something."

She watched his fingers stroke across her hand. "What?" She questioned softly.

"First, I want to say that...I'm-" His hand tightened around hers. "I'm...so sorry, Anko."

Her eyes shot up to his. He turned away from her and grit his teeth. "I should've paid more attention. I should've sensed Kabuto coming, but I didn't. This is all my fault."

She blinked a few times before letting his words sink in. Then she lurched up into a sitting position, taking him by surprise.

"Shut up! Don't you _dare_ try to blame this on yourself!"

He cringed. "But if I had just-"

She grabbed his chin and made him look at her. "There are only three people to blame for this. Orochimaru, Kabuto, and _me_."

He jumped up from his seat. "_You?!_ You did nothing wrong! You're the victim!"

Now it was Anko's turn to look away.

"No. I shouldn't have been so weak. Just seeing..._him_...made me want to crawl up into a little ball. Sasuke is with Orochimaru. Everyone on the team but you is dead. I failed as a team leader and as a ninja. I do not deserve the title of 'shinobi'."

I'm sorry.

"My own pain does not matter. What matters is that the mission was a complete failure, and that was all my fault."

She glanced back up to Ibiki who was shaking with rage.

"Your pain should matter. It does matter."

She scowled. "Yeah, right."

He growled. "It _does_."

Orochimaru's voice filled her ears.

_"No one wants to save you. No one cares about you Anko. You belong to me."_

She rose from her hospital bed and glared at him.

"Since when did you start caring about my problems, huh? No one gives a damn about me!"

His face contorted into some kind of mix of hurt and anger.

"That isn't true!"

Hot tears emerged from her eyes.

"I go through pain every fucking day, Ibiki. And it's not just this-" She yanked at her shirt to reveal her curse mark.

"It's every fucking time I close my eyes!"

_"Are you afraid of death, Anko?"_

"He's always there; in my mind!"

_"I don't understand at all! I've looked up to you more than anyone in the world!"_

_"You simply didn't measure up, my dear."_

She pounded her fists against his chest.

"He has taken everything from me now!"

_"You will find, my dear that women are easily taken advantage of."_

"Oh god, how stupid I was..."

_"Don't fight me, Anko."_

_"Trust me."_

Her rage vanished and she sobbed into Ibiki's chest. She felt like dying, just ending all of her pain. Ibiki grabbed her and held her close, letting her cry. His fingers stroked her hair, and she couldn't help but think of the time in the forest when her curse mark acted up.

"Why...do you do so much for me?" She mumbled through her tears.

He brought his lips down to her forehead and she tensed, remembering someone else who gave her a kiss like that.

"Anko, I-"

She stared up at him as he swallowed his words. He took in a deep breath and then brought his mouth to hers.

She didn't know what to think of the kiss. The first thing she thought of was Orochimaru, and she instantly wanted to pull away. But the kiss was soft, warm, and there was something about the feeling of his lips on hers that made her want more.

What was this strange feeling?

She pulled him closer enjoying the kiss more than she thought she would.

So when he pulled away, she couldn't help the small whimper of disappointment that escaped her.

She looked up into his eyes to see a sparkle, like confidence. A true smile radiated off of his face.

"I love you, Anko."

---

**One Month Later**

Waking up to the morning rays of sunshine, Anko smiled.

She no longer hated mornings.

She rolled over to her other side and giggled at Ibiki's sleeping form.

And she no longer lived alone.

It had been a big shock to everyone; finding out that they were a couple. The funniest reaction had to be Naruto Uzumaki's. When he found out he stood still with his mouth hanging open, and shortly after, he fainted.

That gave everyone a good laugh.

She slowly got out of the bed, not wanting to wake Ibiki. She snatched up a pair of jeans and a shirt and walked to the bathroom. She stopped at the mirror gazing at her reflection. The bite marks that trailed down her neck were still there; the nurse had said they would be permanent scars, but she ignored them.

They were a part of her now.

_"Anko, dear."_

And so was he.

She shook her head to rid thoughts of him, and started the process of slipping on her jeans. When they reached her hips and she went to zip them up, she was surprised to see that they were too tight and wouldn't close.

She sighed inwardly. It must be that time of the month.

She reached for her shirt instead, but before she could pick it up, she gasped.

"Anko? You okay?" Came Ibiki's tired voice from the bedroom.

She stood there for a moment silent, before speaking up. "Uh...yeah?"

Still in her underwear she made a mad dash out of the bathroom and to her calendar she had hung on the wall near her bed.

Twenty-two, twenty-three, twenty-four...

Ibiki grinned up at her. "I have a good view from down here."

He reached up to pull her down to the bed but she slapped his hand away.

"Shut up, this is important!"

He squinted up at her, and then sat up rubbing his eyes.

"What? What's wrong?"

She turned to him, blank expression across her face.

"I've skipped a period."

He gave her a confused look. "Is that bad?"

She scowled and glared at him. "I may be...pregnant."

---

Anko sat in the bathroom, glaring at the pregnancy test that rested on her sink.

Five minutes seemed to be five hours.

She didn't know what she would do if she was pregnant. Her take care of another living creature?

Yeah right.

And second; a thought she would rather banish forever and never even think about thinking about it; Ibiki might not be the father.

There would only be one other person.

She shuddered, and focused on the word 'negative'.

And then out of nowhere the timer she had set, beeped.

She suddenly wished she had more time.

She rose from her seat on the edge of the bath tub and slowly walked over to the sink.

Oh god, please be negative.

She picked up the test, covering the symbol with her finger.

And then, after two minutes of standing still and breathing hard, she looked.

Gazing over the symbol, she was quiet, not knowing what to think.

"What does it say?" She heard Ibiki ask from outside.

She didn't answer, she just stared at it.

That little symbol that would change everything.

Positive.

**A/N: THE END!!!! HURRAY! I know that this took a long time, and I apologize to my readers (I hope you haven't given up on me!!!) but what did you think? Don't worry there will be a sequel I promise. I would like some of you to give me some ideas of what I should name the next one, so if you think u have a good idea feel free to tell me in your review and/or an e-mail to me! Thank you guys SO much and I hope you enjoyed this story. R&R! Love you! ^_^**


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